The hit was arguably the most controversial moment of Anaheim’s wild win — early in the second period, Stoll nailed the Ducks defenseman into the boards, and the result was not good:

The hit itself was somewhat overshadowed by the Bryan Allen-Jordan Nolan fight, but the aftermath wasn’t — Fowler left the game with an upper-body injury and didn’t return, much to the consternation of the Ducks.

That’s a pretty picture he’s painting of his own actions. He grabbed the jersey well before Fowler started going down, he grabbed it to slow him up, then extended his arms for the SOLE purpose of shoving Fowler into the boards when Fowler did start to go down.

I don’t know much about Stoll, not commenting at all about his play. But that was a really dangerous move. Didn’t seem clean at all, from an impartial point of view.

I hate hits from behind near the boards, but I keep watching it and man, if Fowler doesn’t break, the hit doesn’t happen. and I mean the second he breaks Stoll hits him. Stoll doesn’t have a chance.

elvispocomo - Feb 6, 2013 at 3:54 PM

I could see that defence if Stoll hadn’t gone full into the boards, hitting Fowler when he stopped up to prevent him from getting by him. He pulls his jersey to guide him in? Please, that causes him to stop up more and be in an even more dangerous position because he’s off balance and lower so that when Stoll does hit him (and he actually drives through the hit, it’s not just incidental contact) his head is going into the boards.

19to77 - Feb 3, 2013 at 2:14 PM

This is something the NHL has to fix with the rules somehow. I’m not saying I know what the solution is, but the players can’t reasonably be expected to avoid situations like this. Stoll would have had to react just about instantly to dodge Fowler there – and this same problem unfolds every other night, it seems. The players can’t help it, so the League has to think of something.

I do understand that you were just making some comment completely unrelated to the article, and that’s also fine, I was actually just refuting your point that there was something wrong with Pittsburgh’s D. There isn’t.